Dental articulator.



PATENTED AUG. 2, i904.

A. H. FLEMING.

DENTAL ARTIGULATOR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 21, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

5' nueu oz 9. ZZ Flewg UNITED: STATES Patented An e-ea,

PATIENT. O FIC ARTHUR moms FLEMING, or LOUTSBURG, NORTH CAROLINA.

DENTAL AnncuLATon.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent 110.766385, dated August 2,1904.

' Application filed November 21,1908. No. 182,156. (F model-l To allwhom it may concern.-

Beit known thatLARTHu'R HYNES FLEMING, acitizen of the United States,residing at Louisburg, in the county of Franklin and State of NorthCarolina. have invented a new and useful Dental Articulator, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates generally to dental articulators, and moreparticularly to an improved construction of articulating-plate employedin making models of the upper and lower dentures. Heretofore in makingthese models the heel-pieces have been provided with dowels in order toassure the return of the articulating-models .to their proper positions,and in addition to the ordinary method of making these dowelsarticulating plates have been employed between the upper and lowerheel-pieces for the purpose of making transverse and longitudinalgrooves and ribs in the opposing faces of the said heel-pieces, and byboth of these methods the upper and lower models are'divided on ahorizontal line and the upper model is lifted from the lower one in astraight vertical line. This is an unnatural movement, and it istherefore with the object of providing a dividing-plate which willdivide the heel-pieces of the upper and lower models on a curved line,so that when the said heel-pieces are placed together the upper andlower models can be moved toward or away from each other with a swingingmovement in close imitation to the natural movement of the jaws. By thismeans aperfect fit between the upper and lower dentures can be had.

With this object in view the invention consists, therefore, of a curvedplate essentially in the form of a semicircle, said plate being formedwith a longitudinal groove or depression extending from end to end andalso provided with curved ears at each end, said ears being arrangedupon opposite sides of the central longitudinal groove or depression.

The invention consists also in certain details of constructionhereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is aperspective view showing the upper and lower models separated.

Fig. 2 is a detail perspectiveview showing the upper and lower modelstogether. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3 3' of Fig. 2. Fig. 4is a side elevation of the upper and lower models, thearticulating-plate being shown seated in the heel-piece of the lowermodel and the jaws separated, thus showing the pivotal movement of theparts; and Fig, 5 is a detail ing-plate;

Referring to the drawings, A indicates the upper model, having theheel-piece A, and

said models being constructed in the wellknown manner from the molds. Inmaking perspective view of the articulatv 'B the lower model, having theheel-piece B, 7

these models, however, an articulating-plateC is arranged between theheel-pieces in order to determine the shape of the meeting faces of saidheel-pieces, and this articulating-plate C is curved in the form of 'asemicircle and is constructed with a central longitudinal groove ordepressionC, which extends from end to end of the said plate. The plateis also provided with longitudinally-extending ears G which are arrangedupon opposite sides of the central groove C, as most clearly shown inFig. 5. These ears are for the purpose of supporting thearticulating-plate in the proper position, and by having the said platein the form of a semicircle and having the ears at each end curved insubstantially the same manner it is obvious that it is immaterial whichend of the plate is arranged foremost.

in shaping the heel-piece. By means of this form of articulating-platethe heelpiece A has its lower edge convexed upon the arc of a circle,and the upper face of the lower heel piece is concaved upon the arc of acircle. This permits a hinge-like movement of the jaws. Furthermore, theupper heel-piece is formed with a longitudinal rib A which fits thelongitudinal rib B in the lower heelpiece, and thereby prevents anylateral movement during the hinge-like movement of the jaws. After themodels are completed the articulating-plate may be removed, or it may bepermitted to remain seated in the. lowe heel-piece.

It will thus be seen that I provide anarticuw lating-plate by means ofwhich models of the upper and lower dentures can be mated at their heelportions in such a manner that the said models can have a thoroughlynatural movement, one upon the. other, thereby enabling the upper andlower dentures be accurately fitted to one another.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is r I 1. An-articulating-platecurved upon the arc of a circle and adapted to be placed between theupper'and lower heel-pieces during the formation, as set forth.

. 2. A metallic plate curved'in the arc of a circle having a vcentrallongitudinal groove 5v grooves, as set forth.

ARTHUR HYNES FLEMING, Witnesses:

. B. B. MASSENBURG,

. C.. K. CooKE.

